Tab shifting means on printing devices



Patented May 4, 1948 U N 1r E o l STAT-.E1s PAT ENT l oFF-1 ce TAB snrrrmf .iiiiacoi oN P-RINTING.

Walter '.l. Gollwitzer, Euclid, Ohio, assignor to. AddresSOgraIJh-Multgraph Corporation, Wil.- mington, Del.; .incorporation of Delaware Applicationfllecenrber 30, 1944,' SerialNo. 570,552 1 .claimY (ci. loi- 369) l This invention .relates toA printing; and .control and llike devices of the character adapted to'be passed through printing and like machines to have operations performed thereon `or under controlthereof and vwhich are customarilystorediin .f

.drawers when notv in use in printing and like machines.

The printing and control and' like -devices which are passed 'through printing and like `inaf chines usually embody anarrangementfwhereby -particularity may be -1 imparted to they respective devices. 'For examplethose printing and ycontrol and like devices which are used by insurance companies and similar institutionsare-usuallyfrso arranged that each Vparticular device pertainsk -to a particular policy and policy holder andy Veach device is so arranged that usually lthe-name and address of the policy'holder, thepolicyfnumber andkindred more or less permanentdatamay be printed lfrom the device during the course of movement thereof lthrough Ya suitable prin-ting machine. Moreover, such printing kandfcontrol and like devices ofttimes include an area-in which perforations or otherfdata representing meansV may be aflorded to indicate, yforexam-ple, the amount ofthe premium due Afrom the-particularpolicy holder on the particular policy to which the particular printing'and'contrqlor like device pertains. Yet further, such printi-ng and .control or like devices also include an arrangement whereby it may be readily .determined Whether .the policy to which thejparticular device pertains is, for example, a whole-life policyga twenty-.payment kpolicy or an endowment'policy, and also an arrangement is provided, for example, tovindicate whether the premiums are tofbe paid annually,` semi-annually, or quarterly, Land it is arrangements of this character on theprinting and control .and like. devices that impar-t particularity to .a particular device.

'Moreoven printing and .control andlike devices of the aforesaid character often embody means Aellective to indicate, for example, whether o r ,not .a particular payment hasfbeen paid,.as for example, in the case .ofa printingy and' control cie-- vice allocated to a. particular linsurance policy, an arrangement is aorded toy indicate Whether or nota -particular premium due on the. policy has been paid andthe present inventionprimarily has to do with such an arrangement in prlnti ing and control and llike devices.

Heretofore particularity 'has been V.iinpartfl''to printing and control and likedevices byattachingremovable tabs to the printing.; 'and control and like devices in such'away Vthat atleast a,

portiony of .each such tab is extendedbeyond an edge'ofthe` device ata particular position along snchedge to. .thereby ibe indicative of a particular condition, .one arrangement `.of this character being disclosedinmy Patent NO.. 2,049,436,1513115- .ented:Ai.1g:ust.4', F1936, Y

Yet vfurther, in.y the oopendingy application of .Carlz J.' HuebenSerialNo, 596,991, kfiled June l, 1945, now Patent No'. 2;4i2.5,-324, issued, August 12, 1947,21 printing andlcontrolor like device is disclosedxvvhichl includes a: portion in whichperfora-tions may be formedV atgselected ofv prede-` --feetive while the other :of suchpositions .is rendered ineffective; to associate with at least two positionswhereat perforations .may be selectively formed in aprinting'andi-control 4device a mem-,- ber movable on the device that will .be effective to cover a perforation Iformed at Vone of such positions while at the same time disclosing the other of suchpositions and which may be lmoved from one'such position to an alternative position to thereby disclose the previously covered posi.- tion-and at vthis time cover the .previouslydisclosed position; lto extend a portion of` such movable member over an-edge ofV .the printing and control 'device soo-aste thereby. .afford a visible indication of the position of the member on the `particular printing and-control device on-Which it is included and also tolaford access-thereto so as to thereby enable the member to be quickly moved'f-rom one'to the otherV of the alternate positions that may be assumed,` thereby; toeffectively retain such a member in one` or .theother of' the alternate Aposi-tions into which it `may be moved; and-toelectively yretain a movable member of the aforesaid cha-racteragainst undesired displacement from the printing and `control-devicev on which it. is mounted.'

vPrinting and` control devices of rthe-character .to which .this inventionfpertains usualliy. include an area or `portion :which perforations. may

@be l-iormed'- at selecteer-oi.=predetermined .positions 15.5

anda card -orthe V:like is .often .releasablysretained mounted;v Y x Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 3--3 on Fig. 2;

Figr 4 is a transverse sectional view taken sub-k stantially on the line 4 4 on Fig. 1;

also disclosed in the aforesaid copending applica-- tion of Carl J. Hueber and the present invention: is particularly adaptable for use in a printing and control or like device embodying such an arrangeor carrier l along the shorter edges thereof for the purpose well understood in the art. Moreover, a lower bead LB is provided along one of the longer edges of the `frame or carrier l0 and this bead in cooperation with the retaining device as RD is effective to retain a rectangular printing plate as P on the front vface of the carrier l0, the printing plate in the present instance being of the kind on which type characters may be embossed and particularly of the character disclosed in the -copending application of Carl J; Hueber and William J. Hampton, Serial No.

450,318, ledJuly 9, 1942, abandoned. 'Ihe printment, and among further objectsofv this -inven-iA tion are to provide a member movable relative to at least two perforations in an area of 'theaforesaid character so as to thereby be 'eifective to cover one such perforation and disclose the other such perforation; to provide such a mem-1 ber on the printing and control or like device and yet enable a card to be disposed overv the area; to utilize a part of the arrangement eiective to retain the card or the like over the aforesaid area, to retain the movable member on the printing and control or like device; and to provide an arrangement of the aforesaid character on av printing and control or like device which will be of simple and economical construction and efficient and positive in operation.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description and claim and are illustrated inthe accompanying drawing which,` byway of illustration, shows a preferred embodiment and the principle thereof and what I .now consider to be the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle. Other embodiments of the invention embodying the same or equivalent principle'may be used and structural-changes may be made as desired by those skilled in the art4 without departing from the present invention and the purview of the appended claim. p

I'n the drawings, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevational view-of a printing and control device embodying my inven- Fig, 2 is another fragmentary elevational view `showing the` face of the frame or carrier of the printing and control device shown in Figl 1 and -on which the movable member with which the .present invention has to do has not been Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the device looking down on the upper edge thereof as illustrated inFig.2; f

Fig. 6 is an elevational Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 1.-1 on Fig. 6.

The printing and control device illustrated in the accompanying drawings is; of the character disclosed in the aforesaid copending application of vCarl Hueber and embodiesa frame or carrier l0 that is formed from sheet metal or like 1942, new Patent No. 2,425,323, issued Angustia,

-i947, are provided on the rearz-facc ofthe frame:

view of the movablel Vmember to which the present invention pertains;

'and

Ying plate P= is l'slid into the lower bead LB and the Vretaining devices RD from one of the shorter edges of the frame or carrier i0 and is retained against4 displacement from these retaining den vicesand this bead by yieldable tongues as T which engage the shorter edges of the plate as P.

Moreover, retaining devices as RDI and RD4 are provided on the face of the frame or carrier I0 andajcard'C. is slid into these 'retaining devices from the 'shorter edge of the frame or carrier. I0 not'illustrated in Fig. l so as to have the leading edge of the card C passed under the re- -taining lip LP," a somewhat'y similar retaining lip being provided for cooperation with the opposite edge of the card C. These lips functie-nto retain the Lcard C against displacement from the retaining devices as RDI and RDA.

'An upper bead UB is formed along the longer edgeof ,the frame or carrier l0 opposite that along vwhich the bead LB is formed, and a retaining device as RD3l is', arranged -in spaced relation, with-this bead LB. A cand as SC is adapted vto be slid into the bead VUB and the retaining device RD3-from the,` shorter edge of `theirarneor carrier l0 not illustrated in Fig. 1 to have ther leading edge thereof disposed beneath the retaining llip LP, a somewhat similar retaining lip being provided to cooperate with the other edge of the card lSC and these retain- 4ing lips are eifective to retain the card SC against displacement fromthe bead UB and the retaining device asvRD3. -Rails as RDZ-are disposed between the cards C and SC and serve to guide these cards into the retaining devices adapted for cooperation therewith and these rails `also serve to retain an edge of th'card SC under the bead UB. f c Y A plurality oi .perforations as Pl are formed at predetermined positions inthe portion of the frame or carrier l0 over Ywhich the card as SC is adapted to be disposed and by forming one or more perforations as VP2 in the card as SC in alignment with 'selected `of perforations PI aligned perforatlons are thereby afforded in the card and carrier whichareefiective to impart particularity to the particular printing and control deviceas, for example; for the purposes as .explained hereinabove..y Moreover, such aligned perforations are adapted for cooperation with detector pins or the like provided at a predeter- `mined position in the machine through which thetprinting and control devices are adapted to be passedso thatr when such a pin, upon movement toward alignedfperforatons as Pl and P2, 'passes through such aligned perforations such a as best-. .vshown indiggzptwo perforations Il and I2 are formed inA lthefcarrier vIl) in the por` tionthereof over which the-card as lSC is adapted to be disposed, these perforations =II and I2 being spaced one from the other and in the present instance being aligned one with the other. Moreover,a lip I3 is struck from the frame or carrier Ill at` a positionspaced `fromybut disposed between the alignedperforations. II and' I2, this lip Sbeing disposed to extend in parallel but spaced relation `with the rearface of :the frame or carrier I `as best shown in Figs. Sand 4. The web vof material through which the lipj I-3 is joined to the frame or carrier ,I il is of ,rounded coniigurationFso that this web in cooperation with the yadlintzent :portion ofthe lip I3, affords' a- '.rounded pocket, the purpose'of which is, explainedpresently.

A movable -or shiftable ,memberST is provided vwhich isiformed from shect'metalor the like .and :includes Aa -bodyl 6 at Yone, end of which a substantially circular boss I1 is formed. A tongue I8 is formed at the end of the body I6 opposite that at which rounded boss I'I is formed and this tongue I8 is bent into substantially U-shaped configuration as shown in Fig. 7. The distance between the lower portion of the rounded boss I'I and the interior of the bite of the substantially U-shaped tongue or clip I8 is slightly greater than the distance between the upper edge of the web I and the outer edge of the upper bead UB. Moreover, the face of the lip I3 adjacent the rear face of the frame or carrier Ill is spaced from the rear face of the carrier Il) in an amount slightly greater than the thickness of the shiftable member ST so that the body portion I6 of the shiftable member ST may be engaged with the rear face of the frame or carrier I0 and then the rounded boss I'I may be passed into the pocket afforded by the lip I3 and the web I5 to thereby be mounted on the frame or carrier I6. The rounded configurations imparted to web I5 and to the boss I1 are complementary so that the boss I1 may rock on the web I5 in the aforesaid pocket.

In order to insure against undesired displacement of the boss I'I from the aforesaid pocket and frame Ill, an inclined lip I9 is struck from the boss I'I and this lip is of a configuration complementary to the configuration of the recess I4 formed in the frame Iii by striking the lip I3 therefrom. When the body portion I6 is engaged with the rear face of the frame or carrier I0, in the manner shown in Fig. 4, the lip I9 springs into the recess I4 and thereby the shiftable member ST is latched to the frame or carrier Iii. Inasmuch asV the boss Il is complementary to the web I5, and since the lip I9 is complementary to the recess I4, the shiftable member ST may be moved relative to the adjacent portions of the frame or carrier I0.

The movement that may thus be imparted to the member ST is such that the member may be disposed in either of two alternate positions. When the member ST is disposed in the position thereof shown in Fig. 1, the body portion I6 thereof covers the opening P4, corresponding to I2, Fig. 2 but discloses the opening P3, Fig. 1, corresponding to opening II, Fig. 2. When, however, the member ST is disposed in another position, to the left of the position thereof shown in Fig. 1, the body portion I6 thereof covers the opening P3, Fig. 1, or 11, Fig. 2 but discloses the opening II. Suitable means are provided for retaining the shiftable member ST in one or the other of the aforesaid two positions in which this member is adapted to be disposed.

Thus by referring to Fig. 5 it will be seen that flattened portion 2li.-A Aninwardlypr'o'jecting .em- A'bossurei23'ifis formedlon .the freefllimb, of' the `tongue or clip- 158 landithis embossure isv desirably .medially'located Ion :tlfiisv tongue.. Furthermore,

the openings `..2 I and4122 f are, respectively disposed adjacent' to the'openingsl II .and I2 anddn =suc'h 4position.L that.y when the shiftableV rr-iemberA ST` is disposed to .co-ver theopening i'I thebembossure k23 willbe. seated inzth'eopening 2.1, the opening 2.2 .being yso'disposed that when .the memberv ST 23 will `be seated in the .opening 22. A,'Iiheclip I 8, being somewhat resilient, ishe'ldin eitherposition by frictional engagement of an embossure -asv 23 withfan opening Sas2I or1"22.

In use perforations as P3 and P4 will be formed in the card SC' respectively in alignment with the openings II and I2. When the shiftable member ST is disposed to cover the aligned openingsv P3 and II, the aligned openings P4 and I2 will be disclosed and the embossure 23 will be seated in the opening 2|. When, however, the embossure 23 is seated in the opening 22 the aligned openings P4 and I2 will be covered and the aligned openings P3 and II will be disclosed.

By referring to Fig. 4 it will be seen that the bight of the substantially U-shaped tongue I8 is desirably spaced to lie above the free edge of the bead UB. Hence a portion of the shiftable member ST extends above the upper edge of the frame or carrier I0 of the printing and control or like device on which it is included and this affords a visual indication of the position in which the shiftable member ST is disposed. Moreover, by reason of the extension of a portion of the shiftable member ST slightly beyond the edge of the printing and control or like device on which it is included, easy access thereto is afforded so as to thereby facilitate shifting of the member ST from one to the other of the alternate positions in which it may be disposed.

While I have illustrated and described my invention with reference to a printing and control or like device comprising a frame or carrier on which one or more printing plates and one or more cards may be releasably retained, it will be understood that my invention is such that it may be used in any device of this character where it may be desirable to selectively render at least one opening effective or ineffective, as for example, in a printing or like device embodying a frame on which type characters may be embossed directly and which is arranged to have at least one selection or like perforation formed therein.

It will be manifest in the foregoing description that the arrangement of a shiftable member as ST on a printing and control device enables the hereinabove set forth and kindred objects of this invention to be realized. However, while I have illustrated and described a selected embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that this is capable of variation and modification and I therefore do not wish to be limited to the precise details set forth but desire to avail myself of such changes and alterations as fall within the purview of the following claim.

I claim:

A printing and control or like device comprising a frame having a pair of openings therein, a shiftable member having a rounded portion Aafzet-1,064

thereon and also having a substantially U-shaped .portion thereon, means providing a pocket on said frame having a portion complementary to said rounded portion and relative to which said member may be moved into position to cover one of said openings and disclose the other or into position to cover said disclosed opening and disclose said covered opening, said U-shaped portion having a part thereof extended beyond anv edge of said frame and also includingL a free limb portion extended over the face of said frame opposite that on which said `pocket is afforded, a latching element on said free limb portion, and said frame having a pair of latching openings therein respectively positioned to receive said 15 latching element to thereby retain said member in the respective position into which it may be moved.

WALTER 'I'. GOILWITZER.

REFERENGES CITED' I UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 808,909 Duncan et al. Jan. 2, 1906 850,245 Newald Apr. 16, 190'1| 964,095 Duncan July 12, 1910 10 1,554,864 MacMillan sept. 22, 1925 1,629,033 Hubbard May 17, 1927 1,682,519 Hubbard Aug. 28, 1928 1,735,214 Schaefer Nov. 12, 1929 1,801,078 Griln Apr. 14, 1931 1,821,108 Mohler Sept. 1, 1931 1,938,579 `.hisholm Dec. 12, 1933 2,005,749 Osborn June 25, 1935 2,080,417 Gollwitzer May 18, 1937 2,260,069 Whitson Oct. 21, 1941 

